


It Wasn't Paradise

by aspiringenjolras



Category: The Mousetrap - Christie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-14
Updated: 2015-05-14
Packaged: 2018-03-30 11:31:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3935194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aspiringenjolras/pseuds/aspiringenjolras
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If only the real world was like Sherlock Holmes, where the bad guys are punished and the victims are rescued.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Wasn't Paradise

“What’s that?” Georgie leaned over his sister’s shoulder at the book she was reading. The words Sherlock Holmes were printed across the top, with a drawing of a tall man in a long coat and a hat below. 

“I found it at school” Kathy replied. “But I don’t like it very much.”

“But what’s it about?” he whined. 

“He’s a detective or something. He’s not very nice.”

“Can I see?” Kathy shut the book and handed it back to Georgie, who took it eagerly. He read the summary, his eyes lighting up. “He solves murders?”

“I guess.” Kathy shrugged, and Georgie stared at her, unable to understand why she wasn’t as excited as he was. 

“This is so amazing! Can I read it when you’re done?”

“Just take it,” she replied. “I’m not going to read it anyway.” Georgie’s eyes lit up and he clutched the book to his chest.

“You’re the best!” he said, pulling her into an awkward hug. “I can’t wait to show Jimmy!” He dashed off, still holding the book close.

***

In the next few days, a pile of Sherlock Holmes novels had accumulated in a pile beside Georgie’s bed. He was practically devouring them, each story only taking him a day, usually less. When he returned from school, he went straight to his room, locked himself inside, and read. This way, he never had to deal with the Stannings, except at meals.  
It wasn’t paradise, but it helped.

***

Georgie knew he was in for it. He knew he was doomed when he swiped Mr. Stanning’s pipe when he wasn’t looking, and paraded around the house with it, decked in a deerstalker and his too-long wool coat. It was as close to Holmes as he could get. He walked around the neighborhood, peering into people’s yards, looking for anything interesting. He liked pretending he was a real detective. But people knew Sherlock Holmes, and that wasn’t any fun. 

It was less fun when Mr. Stanning caught Jimmy with the pipe later, while he was watching it for his brother. Georgie begged to be beaten instead, because it wasn’t Jimmy’s fault. At least he was able to save his brother from a punishment he didn’t deserve. If only he could end the rest as well.

***

He gave up being Sherlock Holmes after that. But he never gave up the dream of solving crime. A few weeks later he took a pencil and his notebook from school, and walked around town pretending to be Inspector Lestrade. Inspector Lestrade was a policeman. Consulting detectives were fun, but they couldn’t take any action. They could only solve the crimes. Inspector Lestrade could actually help people. So he practiced.

_One day,_ Georgie told himself. _One day, I’ll be good enough. And when I’m all grown up, maybe they’ll let me be a real policeman. I’ll rescue every child like me and Kathy and Jimmy. No one will ever have to be beaten again, or endure this pain. I can stop it._

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry. This is tumblr user medicationmambo's fault.


End file.
